In the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, following the deployment of North Korean soldiers, fighters from yet another country have now joined the conflict. Reports indicate that Russia has recruited Houthi rebels to bolster its forces against Ukraine. According to a Financial Times report, hundreds of Houthi rebels from Yemen have been brought in by Russia. The report further alleges that these fighters were lured to Russia under false promises.
The Houthis are reportedly being told that they will receive Russian weapons transfers in exchange for the Yemeni fighters. Tim Lenderking, the U.S. special envoy for Yemen, said that there are Russian operatives in the Yemeni capital Sana’a aiming to “deepen this dialogue.” He told the Financial Times that “the kinds of weapons that are being discussed are very alarming, and would enable the Houthis to better target ships in the Red Sea and possibly beyond.”
Note: Since Israel’s war in Gaza began last year, the Houthis have attacked at least 90 merchant ships in an apparent show of solidarity with Hamas, another Tehran-backed group.
Both Russia and Ukraine have struggled to recruit enough troops to replace their battlefield casualties; to avoid a costly and unpopular mobilization effort at home, the Kremlin has instead used more foreign fighters, including those from Nepal and India, as well as an estimated 12,000 North Korean soldiers.
Promised high-paying jobs and citizenship
Young men from Yemen who arrived in Russia revealed that they were promised high-paying jobs and Russian citizenship. However, upon reaching Russia, they were forcibly conscripted into the military and sent to the frontlines. This development comes at a time when the U.S., the U.K., and France have approved the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine, escalating tensions and fueling fears of a potential Third World War.
A U.S. diplomat stated that the agreement between the Kremlin and Yemen’s Houthi organization reflects Russia’s broader intentions. Analysts suggest that some Houthi rebels have already been trained in Russia, taking advantage of Yemen’s impoverished conditions, which make recruiting mercenaries from the region relatively easy.
Recruitment of Houthi fighters began in July
According to an FT report, contracts related to the recruitment of Yemeni fighters reveal the involvement of a company linked to a prominent Houthi leader, Abdulwali Abdo Hassan Al-Jabari. Registration documents describe this company as a tour operator and a retailer of medical and pharmaceutical equipment.
The hiring of these mercenaries reportedly began in July. One contract, dated July 3, bears the signature of the head of a contractor selection center based in Nizhny Novgorod. A Houthi fighter deployed in the war against Ukraine revealed that he was among 200 Yemeni recruits inducted into the Russian military in September. He claimed that he had been promised a secure, well-paying job in engineering or security before being sent to Russia.
Some of these mercenaries, after being deployed to the warfront, faced harrowing experiences. According to reports, within days of deployment, four fighters attempted to escape into Ukraine’s forests, with one even attempting suicide.
North Korea reportedly sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia
Earlier reports claim that North Korea dispatched approximately 10,000 soldiers to support Russia. These troops were trained in Russia and subsequently deployed to the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces had made significant advances, capturing around 100 villages in August.
Ukraine’s military alleges that North Korean soldiers are actively participating in the conflict. Additionally, media reports suggest that North Korea has supplied Russia with long-range missiles and artillery systems, further bolstering its military capabilities in the ongoing war.
Who are Yemen’s Houthis, Saudi Arabia’s adversaries?
The Houthis are an armed group belonging to Yemen’s minority Shia Zaidi community, formed in the 1990s. The group is named after its founder, Hussein al-Houthi. The Houthis have been a key player in Yemen’s decades-long power struggle and gained significant political strength in 2014.
In 2015, Houthi fighters seized Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, forcing President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee the country. A coalition led by neighboring Saudi Arabia intervened to counter the Houthis, aiming to oust them and restore Hadi to power. Meanwhile, Iran supports the Houthis in this conflict, further intensifying the regional rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh.
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